3. Montier-en-Der to Wassy

The monastery of Montier-en-Der was founded at the end of the 7th century by Abbot Berchaire or Bercaire, a monk from Aquitaine who had attended the Saint-Hilaire monastery in Poitiers and the school in Reims run by Bishop Nivard. To complete his training he went to the monastery of Luxeuil governed by Abbot Walbert on his return to Champagne and founded the monastery of Hautvillers near Epernay before that of Montier-en-Der.
Berchaire founded a women's monastery in Puellemontier, near Montier, a few years later.
From the foundation of the monastery of Montier-en-Der, the monks lived under the rule of the good Fathers Benedict and Colomban, a formula that was consecrated until the Council of 818.
The glass roof of the church choir is composed of 10 stained glass windows with abstract decoration and 6 stained glass windows representing: bay 106: Benedict, bay 104: Remi, bay 102: Paul, bay 101: Peter, bay 103: Berchaire, bay 105: Colomban.

The church of Ceffonds has only kept the Romanesque bell tower at the crossing of the transept from the 12th century.
Most of the Gothic architecture dates from the 16th century, the glass roofs made between 1511 and 1518, which alone are worth the detour, bear witness to the wealth of the master glassmakers of the Aube. The stained glass window of the Tree of Jesse, a family tree that traces the ancestors of Christ to Jesse, father of King David, is often represented by the Trojan master glassmakers in the Middle Ages.
Take the time to admire the tomb on the north aisle.

The lordship of Voillecomte originally belonged to the lords of Rosnay (Aube), which was partly passed on to the abbey of Montier-en-Der. The choir and the tower of the bell tower of the church of Saint-Luc were built in the second half of the XIIth century, the nave and its collaterals had to be rebuilt around 1779, and the church is topped by a bell tower in the romanesque style.

The construction of the side canal dates back to 1881. It branched off from the Marne à la Saône canal. This small canal of 23 Kilometres and 8 locks, appelé́ also the Blaise canal, gave a river débouché́ to the forges and foundries of the Wassy region and supplied these same factories with green sand (foundries) and shore wood (Pont-Varin mines). It was supplied with water by the Blaise river and the Lac des Leschères (Wassy). Its size was identical to that of the Marne à la Saône.

The railway line was recognized as being in the public interest in 1879 with a depot of wagons and locomotives to export timber, grain and livestock. This line was strategic during the First World War. The Montier-en-Der station was closed in 1991 due to a lack of passengers and merchandise.
Some of the tracks were converted to greenways.

A hospital was built in the 16th century on the banks of La Blaise and outside the city walls. In 1643 French Capuchins settled there. They were replaced in 1685 by Irish Capuchins, victims of the tyranny exercised against Ireland by the King of England. They were military monks, carrying the sword, and were to train missionaries destined for Ireland. But they also provided rescue services to the inhabitants of Wassy and even started a fire-fighting service. Their convent was destroyed by fire in 1756. It is buildings rebuilt after that date that we see today.

Built in the 13th century, the church has kept many Romanesque architectural elements. It will know later contributions in particular the addition of chapels in the Middle Ages. The church originally consisted of three semicircular apses, the three entrance portals opened onto three naves. The side chapels are later and were built between the 15th and 18th centuries. The building was destroyed in the 16th century, necessitating the reconstruction of the central apse and the southern apse with flat chevets. The façade was covered with a roof in the 17th century. Louis Le Bé organ from the 17th century. Stained glass windows from the 15th-20th centuries.

On 1 March 1562, the Duke of Guise, Lord of Wassy, massacred about fifty Protestants and left 150 wounded in a barn where the Protestants had taken refuge. It was the beginning of the religious wars.
Today the barn is a place of meditation as well as the Temple nearby.
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